Bethel Baptist Uniontown

This past Sunday we talked about Rueben the first born son of Jacob.  His brother devised a scheme and was going to kill Joseph, Jacob's favorite son.  Rueben stepped in and convinced them to throw him in a pit with the hopes that he would return alone, remove Joseph from the pit and return him to his father.  This was no doubt a good move on the part of Rueben.  However, the brother's then decided to sell Joseph off as a slave and would take the coat of many colors, which they tore up and covered in animal's blood to deceive their father. Reuben returned to the pit to find it empty and inquired of his brothers of Joseph's whereabouts.  They told him what they did and at this point Rueben chose to remain silent about their actions and become part of the plot.  Reuben's silence would bring great hurt to his father as well as times of hardship to his brother Joseph.  Surely Rueben could have gone and paid to get his brother back or at the least stood up against his brothers and told Jacob the truth, but instead he remained silent and caused great pain.  Did Rueben fear for his own life, was he watching out for his own back or did he remain silent for another reason?

  I understand that we know the end of the story but I believe there is a great lesson to be learned here and that is to remain silent and not speak the truth cannot be the right thing to do, especially when it is going to cause harm to others.  To be silent when knowing the truth is to become a part of the wrong that is being done.